# 36
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He just wanted to provide her with a good home close to the Imperial Palace.
It did not occur to him what the consequences of that would be.
Dana sighed lightly and muttered.
“You were going to drop me off... weren't you?”
"…I apologize."
“No, it's me who should apologise.”
A calm smile appeared on Edwin's lips.
“You are not required to apologize at all. I wanted to stay with you, nothing more.”
“I understand. Thanks to you, the way back was enjoyable for me as well.”
Edwin's eyes lit up when he heard the word fun.
“How long does it take to get home?”
He didn't answer. He extended his hand towards her.
“Hold my hand so I know?”
A sly laugh crept into his features, and Dana laughed in amazement.
He held her little hand firmly and led her forward.
They headed to a quiet neighborhood not far from the square, an area containing luxurious homes inhabited by people of rising wealth rather than traditional nobility.
After a short distance, Edwin stopped. A bright white villa appeared before them.
Dana blinked in surprise.
"here…?"
"here."
“I didn't expect...”
The sentence was interrupted.
Edwin watched her anxiously—is she too young?
Should he have taken longer and looked for a more luxurious home?
But Dana spoke loudly.
“It's much bigger and more beautiful than I expected!”
The white house with the light gray roof was a beauty.
A manicured garden, lush grass spread over a wide area, and thick mistletoes of white hydrangeas sparkling with presence.
On the second floor balcony, green stems bearing small buds wrapped around the railing.
A home that perfectly embodies Dana's taste.
“Wonderful…”
They crossed the gate and walked in the garden, and the smell of fresh grass wafted over.
Dana's gaze stopped at the white hydrangea; Small flowers arranged like round clouds.
Since she is a nature lover, she tirelessly studied the garden.
Edwin watched her, enjoying the spectacle.
As she inhaled the scent of the flowers, she wondered.
“You seem to have a great interest in flowers, Edwin.”
“The care here is excellent. It reminds me of the gardens of the Imperial Palace.”
He just smiled silently.
They were all actually flowers transported from the garden of the Third Prince's Palace. The gardeners there planted them with meticulous care before transporting them here, so they remained blooming, fresh, and did not wither throughout the seasons.
'If I had known she would be so happy, I would have brought more...'
This is what came to his mind as he saw her bright smile.
It did not occur to him that the garden of his palace, which had been left incomplete due to the transfer, was worth thinking about.
He called her gently.
“I have a gift for you.”
"gift?"
“Yes, come.”
He put his arm around her shoulder lightly.
Dana entered the house, and as soon as she saw the bright, organized interior, she uttered a murmur of admiration.
“You look like you're cleaning really hard.”
She looked between the sofa and the table; No trace of daily life, not a speck of dust.
“It is as if all the furniture is new... as if it was bought today.”
Edwin's eyes twitched with a warm smile.
“There are really new pieces.”
"You bought it? Why?"
“I wanted our house to look like a newlyweds’ house.”
In fact, all the furniture is new.
He didn't have time to choose custom-designed pieces, and that alone bothered him.
Dana's eyes widened in surprise.
“Wouldn't that be an exaggeration? This is all because of me...?”
“I told you—I worked hard.”
How much I wonder?
The furniture was clearly luxurious, antique, and valuable.
Then a sudden question came to her mind.
'How did he even buy this house?'
A worried look appeared on her face before she asked.
“Edwin...did you take out a big loan to buy the house?”
"impossible."
She breathed a clear sigh of relief, and Edwin burst out laughing uncontrollably.
Edwin then gently pushed Dana's hair behind her ear.
“Don't worry about anything as long as you're here.”
At that statement, Dana realized the truth; She was dumping on him all the accumulated anxiety that her family had caused her over the years.
"…sorry."
“There is no need to apologise. All I want is for your heart to be at peace in this place.”
His words touched something deep inside her.
“This house… belongs to us alone. All you have to do is be happy.”
Dana nodded gently.
Yes...this is the concept of houses.
One day as a child, she dreamed of a warm place to share with someone she loved.
As she grew older, she forgot the dream... until Edwin brought it back to her.
“Let's go see the gift.”
He took her hand and led her to the second floor.
At the end of the corridor, a large gate appeared, filling the face of the wall. Edwin took a step back, motioning for her to open it herf.
He seemed to have hidden the gift inside, in the tone of a child hiding a surprise.
Dana smiled uncontrollably, then pushed the door open with both hands.
It was heavier than I expected.
As the hole widened, her eyes widened just as much.
Edwin whispered in a soft tone.
“This is your space.”
Dana took a step inside.
“This is… a library.”
It was like a small independent bookstore. A wide, arched window through which sunlight pours in,
Two entire walls are covered in bookshelves. Novels neatly lined up until the shelves are full.
Dana's gaze roamed over the place like someone wandering inside a dream.
In the middle was placed a white desk made to measure for her, and next to the door was a long sofa suitable for lying down and reading.
Since her childhood, she has loved novels.
So this place was a blessing from head to toe.
She turned happily to Edwin.
“How did you know I liked books?”
“I never forget anything you talked about.”
Then I remembered a passing conversation they had had.
“There is something I want to do today.”
“Say anything.”
“I want to waste time in a library. Just read without thinking.”
Apparently, that sentence resided in his mind unmoving.
Her heart trembled full. The reason was not only books.
In her father's palace there were countless rooms, yet Dana was given a room barely large enough for a bed.
'As for this library...'
It was a room built especially for her.
For her happiness alone.
She imagined Edwin preparing the room, piece by piece, just for her.
She was so moved that she hugged him tightly.
“Thank you, Edwin.”
He froze for a moment in her arms, then his ears turned red with a familiar slowness. Dana laughed faintly at his reaction, which did not change.
After walking away a little, she asked.
“But… the books, did you choose them?”
“Yes, after I spent a long time thinking.”
"unreasonable."
She gave him a joking look. Most of the books were romantic novels...
But that's not what surprised her.
“Why all… romantic stories with princes?”
She pointed to the titles.
“The prince is too wonderful for me.”
“One hundred reasons why I should marry the prince.”
'A prince is better than a knight'
Was the empire really overflowing with these kinds of novels?
Dana laughed at this strange consistency in his taste.
“This way... shouldn't you marry the prince yourf?”
“When you're done with it, I'll fill the shelves again.”
“Also with stories of princes?”
He shook his head confidently.
“Why?”
Dana laughed heartily, seeming unable to find a convincing explanation.
***
“Ooooh…”
Jimmy woke up, squeezing his temples in pain. A hangover was a daily companion that never left him.
He got up to drink water as usual, then extended his hand to his waist to make sure the keys were there—
An old habit that haunts him.
"…What is this?"
His gaze suddenly cooled.
The place where the keys should hang was completely empty.